US President George W. Bush has consulted the leaders of France, Russia and China in his quest for international consensus on dealing with Saddam Hussein,
A White House official said: "It's the beginning of the process that the president outlined on Wednesday to consult with friends and allies on how to remove the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and his relentless acquisition of weapons of mass destruction".
All three nations have questions about a military attack on Iraq.
Mr Bush is to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair tomorrow at Camp David.
